Yes, there most certainly has been an increase in SAR events. I would suggest there has been a substantial increase in bluewater sailors and coastal cruisers, in spite of the decrease in overall keelboat sailing participation. The prevalence of electronic navigation devices, sat phones, marine radios, and rescue beacons have encouraged more, with less experience, to head offshore. If you read many of the rescue threads, its clear some are not well prepared for what awaits them or don't even understand what they should have.

As I'm sure you would say in court, show me the actual evidence. You may be right, but I want to see the actual data. It must be available.

I don't doubt there is more publicity around SAR events, so we definitely hear about them more than we used to. And I also buy the notion that technology is lowering the bar, making it easier for people to be out there, and also easier for people to be rescued. But if you want to go down that route we can argue about how everything went to hell in a handbag after they started making fibreglass boats, or using dacron sails. There are lots of technological developments that have made things easier. Should we all be so pure as to sail in nothing but wood hulls with square rigs? (And this from a guy who doesn't want to cruise with a fridge )

Technology allows a level of environmental arrogance. It's the story of western "progress." I think it's exhibited in our attitudes towards Nature in general, so I agree with you there. That said, I just don't see this tsunami of ill-prepared wannabes that you seem so worried about, nor do I know of evidence for this big increase in SAR events attached to such people. As I say, show me the evidence!

Just because someone comes here and asks how to go about doing a circumnavigation doesn't mean they are about to jump on a boat and rush off on an ill conceived journey.

It all starts somewhere.

If you don't know anything, you ask questions.....

One of the threads that this thread was posted in response to (I assume, maybe not ...) is a thread where someone simply asked how they would train for a circumnavigation. That sounds like a perfectly reasonable question for someone to ask in my opinion.

I have never read an absurd circumnavigation thread where the OP is asking whether the voyage is wise. Instead, they want to know which boat, which radio, which breakfast cereal, which fitness routine.

At some level, they must understand their plan is foolish and ill-conceived, so they never ask, "Is this a good idea with my lack of experience, funds, support, and knowledge?"

We should be the ones asking questions before dispensing approval, like:

How long have you been sailing?

What kind of books have you read in preparation?

How much bluewater experience do you have?

What kind of safety gear do you have? EPIRB/PLB? liferaft?

Have you ever owned a boat before? Repaired the engine, the toilet, the electrical system, the rigging...etc?

Then, for the absurd and ill-conceived posts, the poster should be informed as to the proper preparation for bluewater sailing. Will this discourage some of them? Yes, of course, that would be the point.

By the way, the Hawaiian U.S. Coast Guard unit already had to check on Rimas. So, our tax dollars are hard at work. I am not in favor of legislation. But, we don't have to assume these folks are ready and encourage them in their voyages. Given the questions they ask, I assume they are not well-prepared. Otherwise, they wouldn't be here asking what breakfast cereal is best.

As I'm sure you would say in court, show me the actual evidence. You may be right, but I want to see the actual data. It must be available.

I am not so sure about the existence of SAR data relevant to this particular discussion, involving these specifics:

offshore
recreational
sailboats

The USCG publishes SARS statistics, which I believe includes marine, aviation and PLB, commercial and recreational, offshore and inland, sailboats and powerboats. I would agree, in general, boating is safer and there are fewer overall SARs for the USCG. The general decline in gross numbers, which might simply reflect the improved safety of all vessels, inland boater safety education, and improvements in communications, do not necessarily reflect a specific trend in offshore, recreational sailboats.

(Knowing the government and the impulse to report favorably on an agency's success, I would also assume there have been changes in definitions, response methods and timing, and data gathering that have influenced how many SARs are reported, just as almost every other government statistic has been reworked. e.g. unemployment statistics, GDP, inflation, COLA, etc. We live in a golden age of successful govt.)

My hat is off to the brave members of the USCG SAR, who do a great job for us all.

It may be easier to post links to the already current information available here and other places to those that want to know more specifics. It seems we recreate the wheel on a whole host of subjects on regular basis.

It may be easier to post links to the already current information available here and other places to those that want to know more specifics. It seems we recreate the wheel on a whole host of subjects on regular basis.

"So, when will cruising rallies start going through the Northwest Passage so we can have a better circumnavigation to brag about than other sailors, without having to worry about safety or planning, since cruising with other boats will take care of all that? Also, do you think West Marine might be putting in a few stores up around the Arctic Circle so we can swap out anything that needs replacing? And are there coves up there where we can anchor without lots of loud music blasting?"

Here's a different perspective.. disclaimer: my brother-in-law owns a sailboat and I had a wonderful time sailing with him this past weekend.

Wealth TV has a great show .. Distant Shores. These folks have sailed all over the place. Once you've caught up on most of the episodes log on to youtube and look at some of the sailing videos. I like the cruising lealea channel. Note how the conditions are usually calm .. maybe boring when they get stuck in the doldrums. I'm pretty sure there are never any storms at sea. It sure looks awesome from my windowless cubicle and never ending drudgery of deadlines that will fail to be even a distant memory in six months.

Say, why not try sailing? Heck, I've got some money saved up I could get one of these dock queens Florida is famous for and sail it! It doesn't look that hard and I've already Sailing for Dummies twice! What could possibly be wrong with these boats I couldn't fix? Youtube is a wealth of information and if they don't have a video then Google will certainly turn something up on a sailing forum somewhere....

Now, allow me to digress for a moment. I have coached every level of youth hockey. Every season without fail I would be approached by a parent who was excited about a hockey scholarship in their 8-10 yr old's future. (No doubt their brother-in-law has the NHL package they enjoy with him on weekends.) I played in the adult league as well. There's nothing quite like watching these 40+ year olds play like the NHL scouts were watching in the stands at 11:45pm... on a Monday night.

Now, how many of these hockey players will ever make it to the pros? I'll give you a hint .. more of them would successfully circumnavigate the globe enjoying Kashi Sailor Crisps every morning for breakfast.

No one can tell you why someone would post "absurd" threads about such desires but I'm pretty sure that was more of a rhetorical question on your part. I do not discount the fact some OPs will be too stubborn to read the thoughtfully crafted responses about the daunting challenges. Perhaps these are the same guys playing beginner hockey at 11pm and cross-checking their own players.

In any event there is still value in the discussions. Perhaps not to those who need to hear the message nor those who are annoyed by the posts but certainly to those of us stuck in the cubicle with the red swingline looking forward to the next opportunity to circumnavigate the marina.

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